Case: Panian v. Blanche

1:26-cv-01537 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Filed Date: June 3, 2026

Clearinghouse coding in progress

Case Summary

[This summary is temporary while we research the case]. This putative class action was filed on June 3, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Todd W. Blanche in his official capacity as Acting Attorney General of the United States. The plaintiffs were two employees of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) who had disabilities, and both had been granted full-time telework as a reasonable accommodation under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act …

[This summary is temporary while we research the case]. This putative class action was filed on June 3, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Todd W. Blanche in his official capacity as Acting Attorney General of the United States. The plaintiffs were two employees of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) who had disabilities, and both had been granted full-time telework as a reasonable accommodation under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act and consistently received excellent performance reviews while doing so. Following President Trump's January 20, 2025 Return to In-Person Work Memorandum, EOIR implemented a policy and practice of predetermining that telework is never an appropriate reasonable accommodation. Afterward, both plaintiffs had their telework renewal requests denied. The plaintiffs brought three counts under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act:  one on behalf of the proposed class challenging the no-telework policy, and one for each of the individual named plaintiffs. The plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages, restoration of used leave, attorneys' fees, and a jury trial.

Summary Authors

(6/14/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73438118/parties/panian-v-blanche/


Attorney for Plaintiff

Carroll, Catherine Mary (Virginia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:26-cv-01537

Class Action Complaint Jury Trial Demanded

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

Complaint

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73438118/panian-v-blanche/

Last updated June 21, 2026, 3:08 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

Complaint ( Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AVAEDC-11045441.), filed by Kimberly Panian, Hoi Yee Baxter. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet)(Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

1 Civil Cover Sheet

View on PACER

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

Clearinghouse
2

Proposed Summons re 1 Complaint by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Attachments: # 1 Summons)(Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

3

NOTICE of Appearance by Catherine Mary Agnes Carroll on behalf of Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

4

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Anashua Dutta and Certification of Local Counsel Catherine M.A. Carroll Filing fee $ 75, receipt number AVAEDC-11045449. by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

5

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Elena Goldstein and Certification of Local Counsel Catherine M.A. Carroll Filing fee $ 75, receipt number AVAEDC-11045453. by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

6

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Louis Katz and Certification of Local Counsel Catherine M.A. Carroll Filing fee $ 75, receipt number AVAEDC-11045455. by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

7

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Heidi Rhodes Burakiewicz and Certification of Local Counsel Catherine M.A. Carroll Filing fee $ 75, receipt number AVAEDC-11045457. by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

8

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Sophia Serrao and Certification of Local Counsel Catherine M.A. Carroll Filing fee $ 75, receipt number AVAEDC-11045460. by Hoi Yee Baxter, Kimberly Panian. (Carroll, Catherine) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

9

Summons Issued as to U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General. NOTICE TO ATTORNEY: Please remove the headers and print two duplexed copies of the electronically issued summons for each Defendant. Please serve one copy of the summons and a copy of the Complaint upon each Defendant. Please ensure that your process server returns the service copy (executed or unexecuted) to your attention and electronically file it using the filing events, Summons Returned Executed as to USA or Summons Returned Unexecuted as to USA. (Attachments: # 1 Notice to Attorney)(Agil, ) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026

Initial Case Assignment to District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles and Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick. (Agil, )

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026

Case Details

State / Territory:

Virginia

Case Type(s):

Disability Rights

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Key Dates

Filing Date: June 3, 2026

Case Details

Other Dockets:

Eastern District of Virginia 1:26-cv-01537

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